Improvement in car-couplings



S.- D. UCKERP.

CAR-COUPLING. No.1'77.035. Patent'ed-M'a'y z, 1876.-

N. PETERS, PHOTO-LITROGRAPNER, WASHINGTON. D Cv UNIT D STATES.

"PA T OFFICE.

, SAMUEL UGKER, OF GIRULEVILLE, OHIO.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l77,035, dated May 2,1876 application filed April 15, 1876.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

To all whom it mag concern! Be it known that I, SAMUEL D. UCK ER, of

(lircleville, county of Pick-away, State of Ohio, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplings, of which the follow ing isa full, clear, and exact description, reference being badtothe'accompanying drawing, making part of this specification, in

- which- Figure 1 represents a vertical section through two draw-heads,showing the arrangement of the coupling devices; and Fig.2 is aperspective view of one of they draw-heads with the coupling-latchraised.

Similar letters of reference denote corre' 'sponding parts in bothfigures.

. In the accompanying drawing, A A represent two draw-heads, which maybe of the usual construction, adapting them to employ the link in commonuse, and provided with the usual flaring mouth, adapted to receive andguide said link to place. The upper wall of this hollow draw-head has anelongated slot, a, cut through it, and within this slot is placed astout hook or latch-bar, B,pivoted at its'inner end in the draw-head bya transverse horizontal pivot at I), upon which the bar B is free torise and fall within certain limits in the slot at. The outer swingingend of the pivoted bar B is, by preference, made in the form of apendent hook or latch, (indicated by the dotted lines, Fig. 1,) andsurrounding, or partially surrounding, this hook or latch end is astrong metal latch or plate, 0, bent into U shape, the vertical closedportion of said plate forming the part engaging the link, as shown. Theouter face or open end of this plate or block 0 is cut away at its Iupper corner,'formin g a notch or shoulder, c,

from which said outer face is made to recede downward to a point, 0formingan inclined face, against which the link acts for automaticallyraising the latch in coupling the drawheads. The partof. the plate orblock 0 extending below the-point'c when the block is in position,passes through a slot, a, in the lower wall of the drawhead, and theforward face of the block below said point e is made p more nearlyvertical, adapting it to rest against the forward wall of slot a, andthus to form one of the points of support of said block or latch againstthe strain or draft of the coupling-link. When in this position, the

shoulder 0 passes underneath the upper wall of the draw-head in front ofthe slot at, and the vertical shoulder a" is drawn against the forwardwall of said slot, and serves as another point of support to the blockor latchagainst the strain of. the link, while the shoulder c, passingunder the upper wall of the draw: head in advance of the slot 0., asexplained, efl'ectually locks the blockor latch O in place when undertension. The loekin g block, latch, or plate 0, thus constructed, iscon'pected with the pivoted bar or latch B by a" transverse pin, b,arranged in rear of the center of grave ityof the block, and passingthrough horizontal or slightly-inclined slots d in-the sides of the bentplate 0, at or near'its rear upper cor-' ner. The upper wall of thisslot d isinclined or curved downward toward the front or outer end ofthe draw-head, as shown, in such mangravity will cause it to rideforward on the pivoting-pin until the shoulder 0 passes under thedraw-head, as explained, and-.locksit in place, and the weight of theblock, in connection with the inclined or curved face of the slot, asdescribed, serves to hold it there when it is not held by the link undertension.

For withdrawing the locking block or latch, it is provided at its rearupper corner with a pivoted link, ball, or handle, D, by means ofwhich'.th e attendant can draw the block or latch 0 back out ofengagement with the drawhead, when, by lifting on the link or handle,

the pivoted bar B rises and lifts the block or plate 0 out of the link,uncoupling the drawwith'a cord running up over a guide-pulley,-

drepsainte the ltnktaha i leased- "fligiii'nf in: the mmmet explaineduand thence to the side of the can, if desired for conveniencein'uncou'pling the cars; on'any other suitable arrangementofdevices maybe used in connection with the pivoted latch-bar B and locking-latch (J,for withdrawing'th'em, as described. p

In coupling two cans to'g ctherpthe-ilihki is fi supposed to have beenplaced in one of the draw-heads, and is supported.therebyjni apositionsufficiently near hefizrmmmomma the free end to enter the flaringmouthof the opposing draw-head, and said end, stl 'ikingi th'e gorwardinnlin-ed face tween-bim o force's said block backward until it is outlook with the draw-head, when the latclrbar B isfree to rise, forcedupward by the action of"thedhi le' on' ithe 'inelinewfacemfllatehlwe ti1- tlie latter'passes evef the entll ot tiieelni when wlamnnm demenmwn1;

thin to 1 the draw heade befe locking: thewlflawhemis tegethe helmet" 1Withesiesm l i Having now, descnihed my invention, what; 21 claim" as:nemandwdesire: tol'secure hyLet- 1. The combination, with thed 'aw-headof tacarmfthe pivoted latch-bar, B, and pivoted locking plate on latchO, arnanged and operat- -in gsntistantiawysae -klsetihed. i i

2. Thelockin-gplateior latch O secured to the pjvoted latchban B, andprovided with tnesnwieeww 'cyfo'r locking said plate in position andsustaining the draft of thecoupfiling-link, as described;

slid ingaloeking plate or latch O, incoinbina ;-tion with the ,link orhandleD forwithdraw raisedvfo releasingtlmim Ei' lm ALEXMTDEER 32Thepwotd E me pivoted ting the latch, and permitting the lateh-barto a

